"Is Snegriya cold?" Rebecca asked. "Sorry. What a stupid question. The land of snow not being cold, that was really dumb," she said with a nervous smile. "But... how cold is it really?"
"You'd die of hypothermia in three days," Ivan replied.
"Which god do you believe in?" Aryna asked. Ivan glared at her as if she had insulted him. "Sorry, I just like learning about cultures."
"None. We don't believe in nature spirits or deities, much less ghosts. Only in causality."
"Causality?"
"Yes. We believe things happen because they are meant to, not because a deity dictated it. And gods? Well... no offense, but they're just humans who reached another level of power. Of course, that's what we believe in the region I come from. Maybe it's different elsewhere..."
"I see... I never thought there'd be a civilization that didn't believe in a god. And you, Mr. Royalty. Did you manage to do anything?"
Resting the notebook on his leg, Antony sketched an energy sphere floating in front of him.
"I'm almost done. Come here, what do I write about this?"
Ivan took a deep breath.
"It's an arcane crystal. If we cross its energy boundary, it will attack us in some way."
"How exactly?"
"I don't know. They're unpredictable. In Snegriya, there are tons of them because it's an almost uninhabitable continent, so mana and natural cores are more prevalent. I've encountered dozens of these, and each one reacted differently."
"So, inside, like, an explosion could happen?" Rebecca asked.
"Yes. Want to test it, Sir Windsor?"
"What are the other possibilities?" Antony asked.
"Are you seriously considering this?" Rebecca asked.
"Of course, why not?"
"Let him kill himself, Beca," Aryna said.
"Well..." Ivan began. "There are two types of arcane crystals: the natural type, which is generated by mana. They usually only release weak energy charges. And the nuclear crystal: the kind formed after a beast's death. When a magical animal dies, its core releases the accumulated energy and creates a kind of territory where anyone who enters is surprised. Most of the time, it summons creatures related to the previous owner of that core."
"So, if I go in there, I could be attacked by an energy blast or some wild animal? Why not?"
Closing the notebook and tossing it aside, Antony paused to gather courage and step into the crystal's territory.
"If you're going to do it, be a man and just go for it," Paul said, leaning against a tree.
With a cigarette in his mouth, he noticed all the students were looking at him. "I noticed you were too close to an arcane crystal, so I came to prevent disasters. But if you're going to go, just go without thinking."
Antony stared at the territory one last time. Unsure of what to do, he just stood there, gathering the courage to move a muscle.
"If this were a fight, you'd already be dead. That's the problem with indecision. If it were your brother..."
Hearing the comparison, Antony stepped into the territory without thinking. Creating a metal shield, he positioned himself to protect against any potential attack.
The move surprised Paul.
"Hmm... Nothing happened," Antony commented.
In response to his arrogance, the arcane crystal released an energy whip that sent Antony flying, easily crushing his metal shield.
"Oh..." Paul murmured. "So it's the energy type. Or not."
Below the crystal, a stone altar began to crack.
Energy rays began to escape from the crystal, and upon touching the ground, life forms began to emerge: predatory wings, white with a pair of icy horns on their foreheads. A crystalline blue stripe ran down the animals' spines, forming a kind of arrow. The birds cawed through the forest.
"Alright. They're albastrons..." Aryna commented.
"The evolution of kynigos?" Rebecca asked.
The first bird feinted toward Ivan. Rebecca created a barrier in front of the boy, giving him room to retreat. Using high-pressure water jets, Aryna sliced the animal in half.
"It's a grade three beast..." Paul said, still leaning against the tree. "You'll have to work as a team to kill them. I won't interfere; my job here is just to guide you. But if you're too weak to handle the risk of death with these little things, I'll step in."
"What a crappy teacher..." Aryna muttered to herself.
"Tony. Give me some protection," Ivan asked.
"Think a shield and a sickle will do?"
"Anything."
"A sickle, then."
Liquid metal flowed from Antony's right hand, extending almost a meter. The metal formed the base of a handle that quickly molded into the blade of a sickle. The liquid solidified into a durable metal.
Antony tossed the weapon to Ivan, who wasted no time charging at the birds.
Dragging the sickle from the ground upward, Ivan easily sliced one of the birds in half. A flock of albastrons advanced, cornering Ivan and Antony. Creating steel knives, Antony fired them in all directions.
Sneaking away, Ivan tried to advance toward the arcane crystal, but an energy whip stopped him.
"The crystal operates in stages," Paul explained. "There are three phases: the first is when you invade the crystal's territory, then it initiates a counterattack. The second phase is where you are now: the weaker ones attack. And finally: the phase where the crystal releases all its accumulated energy, and the former owner reincarnates."
"So, in the next act, the crystal will summon its former owner?" Aryna asked.
"Yes. I suggest you help. We'll only leave once you're done here."
"What?! But this was their idea!" Aryna complained.
"You're a team. A team takes responsibility for each other's mistakes, no matter what."
"Damn... I hope you guys die!" Aryna cursed at the boys.
Clapping her hands and pulling them apart, Aryna fired a water cannon at the animals. While the crystal summoned more birds, Ivan did his best to kill them, preventing an infestation.
Creating thin metal rods, sharp enough to seem invisible but as sharp as a sword, Antony joined the fight, tearing through some of the larger birds.
Trying to approach the crystal again, Ivan was thrown back by a larger bird. The dominant predator: a harpy.
"A mythological spirit..." Rebecca commented after creating a barrier to save Ivan.
"It won't help..." The harpy perched on a rock. "Every time we kill one, its body disintegrates into energy and comes back to life..."
"That's not how it works," Aryna countered. "The particles return to the arcane crystal. With that, they merge into a single, stronger being. All the strength of the hundreds of birds we've killed so far created this Harpy."
"She's right," Paul said. "If you keep this up, you're just signing your death warrant. The crystal will create a stronger being until it reaches its original form."
"We need to find a way to kill this Harpy without letting it return to its matrix," Antony said, stretching.
"And how do you think we'll do that, smart guy?"
"Causality. Isn't that right, Ivan?" Antony encouraged with a smile.
"I don't think that's exactly how it works, but... let's go."
"Miss the blondie... he'd think of something," Aryna muttered as the two had already charged at the harpy.
"Come on, Aryna. We can't lose to men, remember?"
"Our promise won't mean anything if we die because of these idiots," Aryna retorted.
"Sometimes, risking your life for achievements is worth it. The most rewarding achievements are the ones we bleed for," Paul said.
"The ones we bleed for, not die for."
"Then, Aryna. You won't last long in Vagus. Eventually, you'll fail as an agent."
"So what? I'm not here to impress anyone."
Rebecca facepalmed.
"If you're not going, I will. Regardless."
Crossing her fingers, Rebecca created a barrier to protect Ivan from the harpy's advance. Antony used his steel rod to attempt a stab, but the harpy dodged.
"That was close," Paul muttered. Noticing his cigarette was out, he tossed the butt on the ground. "It's been over half an hour since you started the arcane challenge... I miss when it was this easy."
Paul lit another cigarette.
The harpy suddenly decided to attack Aryna, catching her off guard. Transforming the sparks from the lighter into flames, Paul created a flaming barrier between the bird and his student. Dispelling the barrier toward the harpy, the creature retreated.
"If you're not going to fight, at least move."
"Says the man smoking cigarettes while teenagers try to kill a divine creature," Aryna complained.
Moving to the corner of a tree and sitting down, Aryna tried to maintain a safe distance from the arcane territory.
"Students giving you trouble?" Amiah asked, arriving beside Paul.
"Since when did you..." Paul muttered.
"Just got here."
"And where's the blondie? With the coachmen?"
Amiah nodded, pointing to where the other students were. Sighing, he said, "Until a few minutes ago, he was complaining about numbness in his legs. As soon as I mentioned you were dealing with an arcane crystal, he got a burst of energy."
"How did you know about the confrontation?" Paul asked.
"Several albastron birds flying through the forest. That species only appears through human summoning or an arcane crystal. I tracked you and noticed you were near the main energy source, so I came here."
"Ah, I see. Don't want to go now?" Paul asked Aryna. "The blondie's here to help you..."
"No. I don't see the point in unnecessary fights."
The harpy charged at Theo, who countered by dodging underneath and launching a gust of wind at the creature's back.
Antony created a steel sword, light and thin, so easy to handle that even a child could wield it. Gripping it firmly, he looked for an opening to hand the sword to Theo, whose first move was to slice an albastron in half.
On the other side of the territory, Ivan attacked the birds while Rebecca created barriers to protect him. As Ivan attacked and circled the crystal, he and Theo switched places: Rebecca began protecting Theo, while Antony provided cover for Ivan.
"The pattern..." Theo thought. "What's the pattern..." Advancing to just a meter from the crystal, Theo tried to touch it. However, a beam of light shot at his face. "Hell!"
Retreating and looking at the crystal, Theo didn't notice the harpy's advance.
Charging at the boy, the harpy nearly covered Theo's head with its claws. Feeling the creature's claws tearing his skin, he shoved his arm into the space between his face and the harpy's talons.
Pushing the harpy back, but the creature grabbed the boy's arm and threw him against a small hill to the east, where a small portion of the hill—rocks and mud—fell on Theo.